Letters to the editor Friday: Philharmonic makes Savannah feel big

Thursday

Sep 27, 2018 at 9:52 PMSep 28, 2018 at 8:36 AM

Philharmonic makes Savannah feel big

We live in what many might refer to as a small town. Small, anyway, when compared to so many other places we all might be living. Here in Savannah, there’s an intimacy of restaurants, shops, and other places around town where you greet and are greeted by people you know and even by some you have yet to meet, but you are greeted anyway. So, there’s a general warmth here that is not found in too many other cities.

That being said, what our small town was blessed with last Saturday evening was big.

Very big, and our thanks go to Peter Shannon and all others productively involved with the Savannah Philharmonic.

From our national anthem, to the new composition by Richard Sortomme, all the way to both Beethoven presentations, no one could have asked for a greater evening.

Nothing more to add except to re-emphasize how our small town just had a really, really big night.

May there be many more to follow.

Dick Hochman, Savannah

A reminder of why to vote against Carter

A letter published Sept. 20 unintentionally gives us more reasons not to vote for U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. I knew I wanted to vote for Lisa Ring, but I had forgotten some of the reasons why I couldn't vote for Carter.

The letter writer claims that Carter has “...focused on issues of importance and benefit to our region.” He, like Carter, must believe that it will be good for our pristine coastline to be threatened by offshore oil drilling.

The letter goes on to say that Carter is working with Trump “toward improving the lives of everyday Americans.” Would that include the lives of women, the disabled, Americans of Hispanic descent, Americans of African descent, journalists and anyone who disagrees with him, all of whom he has denigrated at one time or another? The letter writer might say that I am “descending into political theater or drama” for bringing this up. What say you, Buddy Carter, to the despicable behavior of our president? Oh, that's right, you have said nothing.

Then the letters states, “Carter and Trump supported the United States withdrawal from the Paris [climate] agreement.” He didn't mention that Trump has repeatedly called global warming a hoax and seems determined to exacerbate the problem with his nonsensical support of the coal industry. What say you, Carter?

The letter praises Carter's vote for the tax cut, though most economists, both liberal and conservative, question the wisdom of creating trillions more in debt and strongly question the veracity of trickle-down economics.

The letter writer says that Carter stands with Trump and his immigration policy. Carter and Trump took what was a reasonable desire by many, Democrats and Republicans alike, to develop meaningful immigration reform and turned it into an ugly, racist, fear-mongering policy that resulted in the un-American separation of children from their parents, which continues even after a court order to cease and desist. Yes, we have an immigration problem, but the Carter/Trump policy of building walls and demeaning people is not the solution.

I am deeply concerned about what Trump and his allies are doing to this country. Since Carter has chosen to be an ally of this man, who is making a mockery of the presidency, the United States and the Constitution, I encourage everyone in the district to vote for Ring to represent us in Congress.

Preston Hodges, Thunderbolt

Activists protecting clean water

During Hurricane Florence, corporate-owned media didn't give much coverage to two clean water threats, experienced to a much greater degree during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

One is flooding of coal ash pits and the other is flooding of hog and chicken waste pits.

Part of the reason for the lack of coverage is that these threats were lessened over the past 19 years, mostly due to the diligence from those who take protecting our clean water seriously.

Coal ash pits were built near coal burning energy facilities that needed to be near lakes or rivers for cooling, thus very threatening to those water sources. Duke Energy's coal ash pit disaster in North Carolina in 2016, and the lawsuit settlement, prompted Duke's plan to close and move all the current pits (approximately 100,000 tons) in North Carolina away from waterways by 2029.

Hog waste was discovered to be a looming threat to clean water when North Carolina became the second largest hog farm state, boasting between six million and nine million hogs (mostly raised in enclosures). Waste from a hog is estimated at five to 10 times the amount from humans and is now collected in pits under the enclosures. In 1999, thousands of hogs drowned creating a further purification threat to clean water sources.

The number of dead hogs and chickens currently in these enclosures will become apparent when farm owners return. What will be done with the carcasses? Who will make sure it is done safely? And what will happen to the price of pork and bottled water?

Claudia Collier, Pooler

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